If a class spent time thinking about the various uses for a paper clip other then to clip papers together, that would be an example of thinking

This would be an example of creative thinking.

Explanation:

Creative thinking is the opposite of functional fixedness. Functional fixedness is someone's inability to see another use for an object other than its traditional use. In creative thinking, people create new relationships between objects or even ideas. That means they are able to find different uses for the same object, such as a paper clip. Creative thinking leads to inventing machines, solving problems, and creating artistic works, for instance.

b. the american revolution